Brent Grimes Lost For Season

Some devastating and surprising news came out of Atlanta today as top CB Brent Grimes was placed on Injured Reserve with a torn Achilles. Grimes left yesterdays game with a reported calf injury, but it turned out to be much more serious. Injuries to the Achilles can be career ruining, especially for players about to reach their 30’s. I don’t doubt that he will be able to come back, I just want to stress the severity of the injury. Playing out this year on the Franchise Tag, Grimes is slated to become a free agent after this season. This is awful news for both Grimes and the Falcons who lose an elite talent.

Luckily, the cornerback position was probably the deepest for the Falcon’s defense. They still have Asante Samuel, as well as Dunta Robinson who had moved into the slot corner position. The bad news is that after signing a huge contract in 2010, Robinson had struggled to translate his talent into success. He apparently favored playing the slot which shaped into a perfect scenario for Atlanta. He still has loads of talent, so hopefully he can adjust back to his playmaking days in Houston.

Injuries have plagued the entire NFC South early on, but the Falcons had been able to avoid any major blows before this. Tampa Bay already lost Pro Bowl Guard Davin Joseph for the season, while the Saints lost Vilma and a few other linebackers thus far for various amounts of games. Carolina played without Jonathan Stewart in their loss yesterday while Beason and Smith played at less than 100%. Of course injuries are part of the game, and the best teams are able to overcome them. Losing someone like Grimes who many, including myself, considered the best defender on the team will be tough, but it is now time to move on and continue to work.